Story and photos from supercrosslive.com

Progressive Insurance ECSTAR Suzuki’s Ken Roczen grabbed the Holeshot and never looked back, taking the win at Round 6 and becoming the fifth different rider to win in the 17-round 2024 Monster Energy Supercross season. It was Roczen’s third win inside State Farm Stadium and the 56,627 fans, a record for the series at the Glendale venue, went wild for the popular racer.  

State Farm Stadium held Arizona’s 30^th Monster Energy AMA Supercross race in front of 56,627 race fans. The 2024 season celebrates 50 years of Supercross racing in America. Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.  

Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Jason Anderson took over second place just over two minutes into the 20-minute plus one lap Main Event and was never seriously challenged for the spot. Team Honda HRC’s Jett Lawrence fought hard from outside the top ten. He made up time on the slick track and nabbed the final podium position, and with it the lead in the championship points. In the Western Regional 250SX Class, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s RJ Hampshire took the victory, becoming the first repeat winner of 2024 in the 250SX class.

“I haven’t won much in the recent years so I take these moments in so much… My start was really good. I got a super good jump. I may have shut the throttle off a little bit too early, so I almost got swallowed up there. But I had the inside and as I went around the first turn I’m like, ‘This is what I need’… The track was really tricky, it just got so slippery. I made so many micro-decisions on the track in certain areas that I picked out; as I ran through some of the first few laps I just noticed some of the key spots that are really tricky and can really bite you. So I just managed the race the whole way… I tried to not look at the time, I just clicked my laps, lap after lap. My Progressive ECSTAR Suzuki was working flawless out here today. I haven’t done many changes at all and it shows. You know, I’ve got to give it up to my whole team, my crew behind me, Peyton at home, my family, Griffin this is for you. I’ve been telling him the whole time I’m going to bring some trophies home, and especially wins, so I finally did it and this is an unbelievable moment for us.” – Ken Roczen

Second place 450SX Class – Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.

“Oh 100% [I’m happy with a podium]. I’m really excited to walk out here with second. But at the end of the day I felt like I left a little on the table. I started riding tight there for a second, but, with how gnarly our class is, it’s pretty cool to be up here… Honestly this is one of my home races so everyone from the 505 out here, thanks for showing up and supporting.”.” – Jason Anderson

Third place 450SX Class – Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.

“[I] didn’t give myself the best opportunity to go on for a win today with just getting a terrible start. But it was cool to climb my way through. It was a cool accomplishment to catch and pass Eli… So it was a cool accomplishment and just happy I was able to fight back to a podium position. [The] front boys they were gone… so especially going similar speeds here you can’t catch up, you can’t give ‘em that extra gap… It was a good finish to get third, especially with how it started.” – Jett Lawrence

After one week off, the Western Regional 250SX Class racers were back on the track for Round 5 of their regional championship. Hampshire took the win after clawing his way up from a fifth-place start. Monster Energy Pro Circuit Kawasaki’s Levi Kitchen led early but finished the race in second. Team Honda HRC’s Jo Shimoda took third, earning his first podium ride of 2024. The top three riders in the Western Regional 250SX Class, Kitchen, Hampshire, and Monster Energy Yamaha Star Racing’s Jordon Smith are now separated by only five points.  

First place 250SX Class – Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.

“[It was] a really tough day. Man, I had that case [coming up short on the track’s large double jump in the] first timed practice. Man, that hurt me quite a bit. [I’m] getting up there in age so those don’t go by so fast… [In the] main event, got a decent start, made those passes quick. And [then] just kinda rode my own race… You know [my win at] A1 was so easy, and then, you know, you have some bad luck… Man, we work hard and it’s awesome to repay this whole Austrian team with another win. We get six weeks off now [for the west coast 250SX Class] so I get to recover a bit, but yeah, so stoked! Thank you! Arizona was awesome to me, ready to go back home.” – RJ Hampshire

Second place 250SX Class – Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.

“[Regarding Jordon Smith jumping into Levi while the ‘do not jump’ lights were flashing] I don’t know. Like, that’s a bad situation. I feel really bad, I’m glad Smitty’s okay. But yeah, you come around and they’re blinking. I didn’t know if I could jump on, and he jumped on behind me and we hit. Luckily we’re both okay… That’s a weird thing with the lights and everything. I just didn’t want to be in the wrong, and get docked. Glad I’m healthy, glad he’s healthy, and yeah, stoked to go into this long break with the red plate, obviously.” – Levi Kitchen

Third place 250SX Class – Photo Credit: Feld Motor Sports, Inc.

“We’ve been working hard in the weekends with the team but the results sometimes [are] not showing… The main event [podium], I kinda got gifted, I guess, but [it’s] some kind of way to start my groove again… I missed the feeling [of being up here on the podium].” – Jo Shimoda

The 2024 Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship takes one weekend off and resumes on Saturday, February 24^th inside AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.